Beast
by emeralddusk
Summary: Tori was the subject of her father's experiments. Years later, she seemed to have a normal life until one night...when everything changed.
1. Chapter 1

Beast

Chapter One: Dark Origins

The night was growing old, and the sense of desperation was burning in Stan Duncan's mind. Every specimen had rejected the radiation he had introduced them to. The scalpel sliced through the exterior of the starfish, releasing a small stream of discolored blood onto the glass slide. The regenerative genes of the test subjects surely the solution to the problem at hand. What was the gene he had to isolate? What was he missing? Going back to his list of animals he'd experimented on, and slashed out gecko, chimp, and starfish. Paper after paper crumpled up and thrown away. Trial after trial failed. Finally, he stumbled on the perfect specimen. Its healing capabilities, its reflexes: the experiment was a success, and the government would pay every cent they were worth to get their hands on it.

However, Stan's greater goal remained a secret to the world: immortality. So many had longed to achieve this, but none have achieved. This experiment had brought him closer to this goal than any had before. Soon, his quest would be complete: all he needed was some more test subjects...

"We will not supply you with human test subjects," a man wearing a general's uniform declared.

"But, General Schneider, this could be a major breakthrough for mankind," Stan replied.

"Mankind will have to settle for animal test subjects," the general responded, getting up from his chair with a grave look on his face. "No human experiments." Schneider walked out of the room without another word.

Stan returned to his lab that night, and injected himself with needle after needly, draining the altered DNA of various test subjects into his blood stream. His arms burned, his head was throbbing, and the world around him was spinning, but it would all be worth it.

Come 3 o'clock, Stan was passed out on the floor. His wife, Nora heard a crashing sound, and came to his aid. Once he was conscious, he assured her he was fine: "Just tripped," he lied to her. Unlike Stan, Nora was too innocent to doubt her husband, and took him at his word.

Nine months later, Nora gave birth to her and Stan's first child: a healthy baby girl.

"What should we call her?" Stan asked his wife.

"...Tori," Nora replied. Tori was the name of Nora's beloved aunt, who passed away when Nora was five.

Besides Nora, Tori was the only human being Stan cared for (besides himself). She was so perfect, so pure...But soon, unseen flaws came to light: Her nails grew at an acclerated rate, her eyes, like that of felines', could see almost perfectly at night, and, the most devastating of all, she was unable to express emotion even in the most extreme situation.

So many nights, Nora stayed awake, crying over her daughter's condition. For just as many nights, if not more, Stan stayed awake, wracked with guilt: it was his altered genes that did this to his daughter, to his family. If there was a solution, he had to be the one to find it.

For years, Tori was the subject of Stan's experiments: needle after needle was injected into her tender arms. Test after test failed. No cure was found. Seeing Tori's eyes through her glasses (for her nearsightedness), knowing she could tell how they were feeling, but could never share those feelings, Stan felt his heart sink.

One day, Tori's life changed forever: she saw her mother dead on the floor with blood on the floor around her. Then, men in green uniforms grabbed her father, and carried him away, deep into the desert. One of them saw her, told her everything would be okay, then brought her to another house, where people she didn't know took her in as their own. Their names were the Vegas. Their daughter, Katrina treated Tori like her sister, and soon, everyone believed Tori had always been a Vega. Her horrible past was forgotten by all...All but Stan.

Over the years, Tori discovered how to feel, to express her feelings, and how to live like a normal human. At the age of 19, she was attending Hollywood Arts school with her sister. Although she was considered a nerd for her glasses, lack of coordination, and the way she kept her hair (always in a ponytail, which many felt hid her true beauty), Tori had a crowd of loyal friends, who didn't let appearances define who they cared about.

"Hey, Tori," called Cat, a girl about Tori's age, who had long, bright red hair, and a sweet, caring, innocent disposition.

"Sup, Cat?" Tori replied, looking away from her locker.

"Hey, the gang n' I are gonna catch a movie," Cat informed, her voice excited. "You wanna come?"

"Sure," answered Tori. "Sounds great."

The school bell rang, and the two sped to their next class. The entire time, Tori's mind was in the clouds. Sometimes, she found herself unable to concentrate on anything, but it never really bothered her. It was nice to have nothing bog down her mind at times, though she still had her priorities.

"Tori," Mr. Sikowitz called.

Tori snapped out of her daze, and faced the front of the classroom.

"Do you know the answer to the question?" the teacher asked.

"...Uh, do any of us really know the answer to all our questions, Mr. Sikowitz?" Tori replied, trying to avoid being caught off guard.

"That..." Sikowitz replied. "...Is a good answer."

Tori's stress faded, and she took a subtle breath of relief.

That night, at about 5 o'clock, Tori, Cat, Katrina, Beck and Jade, and Robbie walked to the mall, where the film, "Dark Swarm" was playing. The movie was gory, the acting was poor, and the plot was impossible to follow, but the gang had fun. Cat, however, was upset when the tortured heroin met her tragic death at the hands of the killer wasps. Once the film ended, the gang did some shopping, then headed home. The time was 9 p.m. by the time the teens were on their way, and the night was cold and black.

"It's really quiet," Tori exclaimed.

"I know," Robbie replied. "It's like a ghost town tonight."

"You know you don't have to fill the silence, right?" Jade commented.

"Neither do you," Tori shot back.

The teens continued on. Suddenly, a rustling noise came from the bushes. A snarling sound tore through the gang's ears, and they all shot their heads towards it.

"What was that?" Cat asked, growing shocked.

"Probably a dog," Beck answered, mostly trying to comfort himself with a rational explanation.

"Like Cujo?" Jade replied. "That snarl sounded like a truck engine!"

A large creature resembling a wolf slashed its claws through the bush, and jumped onto the street, salivating heavily and grawling viciously. The beast's eyes were as red as fire, its teeth razor sharp and covered in saliva, the fur covering its body matted, rough, and dark, its legs muscular, and its claws long, jagged, and pitch black. The look on its face was scarred with a rageful hunger, and the bark it let out was as loud as the explosian from a bomb.

"Run!" Cat screamed, feeling her heart was about to tear out of her chest.

The teens dashed in different directions, knowing that their very lives depended on their speed. The wolf's eyes locked onto Tori, and it bolted towards her, the black claws on its feet scatching the ground. Tori turned around in time to see the monster lunging at her.

"Tori!" Katrina screamed, watching her sister being torn apart by the wolf's fangs and claws.

The beast sank its teeth into Tori's arm, sending blood streaming onto the ground, and causing the girl to cry at the top her lungs until her throat was raw. Then, in a second, Tori's pain ended, and darkness surrounded her.

Knowing there was nothing they could do for her, Tori's friends ran away into the night. The wolf let out a howl at the bright full moon in the center of the sky, then charged into the fog rolling into the city.

Tori lay still on the cold sidewalk, her eyes closed, and her mouth gaped open in a position of peaceful surrender.


	2. Chapter 2

Beast

Chapter Two: A New Nightmare

The day's sun warmed Tori's cold, throbbing body atop the cold, dirty sidewalk. The girl coughed, then opened her sore and puffy eyes. A cold breeze chilled Tori's flesh exposed by the many small tears in her clothes. Raising herself up, the teen began to wonder what had happened to her. The girl rubbed her aching left arm, and noticed small but deep bite marks embedded in her shoulder.

Images of the last night flashed in Tori's head: the wolf's blood stained teeth pulling out of her arm, the evil howls, then that beautiful full moon. With a bolt of lightning, the memories shattered, and Tori stumbled towards her school, knowing it was where she was supposed to be. Disoriented and a dull pain covering her body, the girl continued forward. By the time she arrived at Hollywood Arts, the throbbing had faded, and most of her scratches were healed.

"Why are we even here?" Jade asked, her voice hoarse and deprived of emotions.

"We should try to keep ourselves occupied," Beck replied. "...I just can't believe this." The teen covered his eyes, trying to hide the tears forming in his eyes.

"Can't believe what?" Tori asked, her voice weak and confused.

The teens were speechless. Cat's mouth was gaped open as she repeatedly gasped, tears falling from her eyes. The girl hugged Tori tightly.

"We thought you were dead," Robbie finally said. "That wolf last night. It..."

"I don't know," Tori replied, bewildered. "I just...woke up on the sidewalk. I can't remember anything else."

"How'd you get here without your glasses?" Jade asked.

"I...don't know," Tori answered, growing confused. "I just...woke up without 'em,...and I was okay."

"I'm so glad you're not dead," Cat cried, finally letting go of her friend.

Tori tried to fathom how she was feeling, what had happened, and how she was standing here now. Her hair was down, and in a rough yet beautiful mess, her eyes were exposed to the world, and her balance couldn't have been more perfect. The old Tori Vega was no longer here.

As she walked through the hallway to her classes, Tori noticed out of the corner of her eye that every other boy was staring at her. It felt good for some reason. She never needed others' attention to feel beautiful, but she truly enjoyed this.

In P.E., Tori was told to climb the rope, something she was never able to do. At first, she was nervous.

"Get ready to choke, Tori," a girl mockingly called.

Tori glared at the girl and snarled under her breath. The teen wrapped herself around the rope, and quickly pulled herself to the very top. The others watched in shock and jealousy.

"Wow," Tori whispered, looking down at the gym and her classmates. The adrenaline, the power she felt was like nothing she'd ever experienced.

The bell rang, dismissing gym class, and Tori was on her way to study hall when Andre walked up beside her. "Hey, Tori," he greeted. "Hey, I saw you climb the rope back there."

"Oh yeah," Tori replied. "I don't know what got into me. I've never been able to do that before."

"It was amazing," Andre added. "And...you look...different."

"Oh, yeah," Tori replied, feeling dazed. "It's kind of a long story."

"I like it," Andre said, trying not to sound imposing.

"Wow...thank you," Tori replied, feeling herself blushing. "I'll catch you later?"

"Yeah," Andre answered, watching Tori walk past him. "Wow," he whispered, noticing how much more confident Tori seemed.

Once the final bell rang, Tori walked home. As she stepped foot on the sidewalk, something hit her: _Mom, Dad, Katrina_, she thought. _They probably think I'm dead._ Tori grew nervous, but knew it wasn't her fault what had happened. The girl continued on her way.

Katrina heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said, drying her eyes with a tissue.

Tori gently opened the door. "Trina?" she nervously greeted.

"Tori!" Katrina screamed, running over to her sister and hugging her.

"I am so sorry I didn't come home," Tori replied. "I just...I was so out of it when I woke up."

"Katrina, who's at the..." Mr. Vega began. The man dropped the glass of soda he was drinking, shattering it on the floor.

Tori and Katrina stared at their father in shock, and he did the same at Tori.

Mrs. Vega walked into the living room. "Tori," she whispered. The woman ran over to her daughter, and gave her a warm embrace, trying to hold back her tears. Finally, Mr. Vega joined his family in greeting his daughter.

"Thank goodness you're alright," Mr. Vega said, his voice trembling.

The four sat down on the couch, and began talking about what had happened.

"I honestly can't remember what happened last night," Tori confessed. "There was a wolf. I remember it attacking me...then I woke up the next morning."

Mister and Misses Vega looked at each other in shock. The story sounded incredible, but Tori was never one to lie.

"We're taking you to a doctor," Mrs. Vega finally declared. "Get in the car, Tori.

"Mom, I'm fine," Tori argued.

"Not after something like that," Mr. Vega replied. "Listen to your mother, Tori."

Tori nodded, then walked out to the car. That night, the doctors examined the teen, noticed the scratches, but not the bite marks. A nurse told Tori's parents that she was okay, but they wanted to keep her overnight just to be sure.

The night was silent, and the room was pitch black as Tori slept. Around Midnight, images flashed in the teen's dreams: The bright, yellow full moon in the center of the sky. Its power. It's raw beauty. Looking away from the shining orb, Tori saw a pack of gray wolves, their eyes glowing white with no pupils visible. Their eyes locked onto her as if she were an odyssey to them. The creatures' breath was calm, and they longed to be near her. Tori then saw herself staring at the moon, howling with all of her heart, feeling drawn to it.

Suddenly, the teen shot up in her bed, covered in a cold sweat, and her breath heavy. Tori stared at the wall, still in shock from the images. Feeling a chill, the girl looked down to see her clothes torn, revealing her stomach and her right arm. Confusion wracked her mind. _What's happening to me?_ she asked herself, growing deeply upset.

The door to the hospital room gently slid open, and a middle-aged man with long, white hair and an age-ravaged face walked in. Tori stared at the man for a minute, then he walked up beside her. "Do you remember me?" he asked her.

Tori stared at the man, her mouth open in bewilderment. Finally, she shook her head to answer the man's question.

Setting a small pile of clothes on Tori's bed, the man nodded, a hint of sorrow in his expression. The white-haired man turned around, and departed from the room without another word.

The girl stared at the clothes, then at the door: the strange man was nowhere in sight. Seeing that the clothes were all her size, and not wanting the nurses to see her wearing rags, Tori undressed, and put on the new clothes the man brought her. The teen looked at the sky, seeing the moon hidden behind a large black cloud. Feeling strangely relieved, Tori layed down, and closed her eyes. _Who was that man? _she wondered. _What was that dream about? Why were my clothes torn up?_ The teen's dazed, agonized mind finally faded into slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Beast

Chapter Three: Flashbacks

Staring out the car window, watching the trees and buildings speed by, Tori's mind repeatedly dwelt on one matter: what's happening to me? The sky was clear, the sun was bright, and a cool wind chilled the city. Lately, nothing had made sense. Unlike the previous day, Tori no longer cared about being popular or feeling pretty. In fact, she would have given half of her own blood just to feel normal again.

"Tori," Mrs. Vega said, breaking the silence.

Tori turned away from the window, and left her daze. "Huh?" she replied.

"Do you want to stay home from school today?" the woman asked. "I think you're earned a day off."

"No, thanks, Mom," Tori answered. "I just want to get back to the cycle."

Mrs. Vega nodded, then continued to drive in silence. Tori stared out the window, feeling a painful lump form in her throat. Maybe it was the wolf attack, maybe it was how she didn't feel like a normal teenager anymore.

The two got home at about 6 a.m. Tori silently walked up to her room, changed her clothes, and prepared for school. Katrina woke up at about 7, welcomed her sister home with a tired, groggy voice.

With Katrina behind the wheel of the car, Tori continued to ponder who the man was she met in the hospital. It felt wrong to ignore her sister, but everything happening was too much to ignore.

"Are you okay?" Trina asked, looking away from the road for a second.

"...What?" Tori asked, her concentration. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm glad," Katrina replied, her voice growing upbeat. "I was really worried about you, Tori. I'm sorry I couldn't help you when you were getting attacked."

"It's not your fault," Tori responded. "None of us could do anything back there." Tori glanced over at her shoulder, still feeling the bite under her flesh.

Finally, the two reached Hollywood Arts. The school was comforting to see: a safe place where things would remain the same no matter what happened that night. The sisters got out of the car, and walked into the building together.

"Thanks, Trina," Tori said, walking towards her locker. Her mind in a daze, the teen couldn't help but feel out of place, but things would get better. They just had to.

"Hey, Tori, Trina," Cat greeted the two, her voice innocent and happy as usual.

"Hey, Cat," Trina greeted back.

"Sup?" added Tori, entering the combination in her locker.

"Are you, uh...feeling better?" Cat asked, trying not to offend her friend. "I heard you were in the hospital."

Tori looked up from her lock, and the images began to flash in her mind: The man asking, "Do you remember me?" The wolves staring at her like she was one of their own. Howling at the moon like a wild animal. Tori found herself taking in a deep, shaky breath, unable to calm herself.

"Tori," Katrina called. "Are you okay?"

"No..." Tori replied, growing upset. "No, I'm not. Can you take me home?"

"...Sure," Trina replied.

"I'm sorry," Cat apologized, growing angry at herself.

The sisters walked outside to Trina's car, and drove home. "I was wrong," Tori said, not turning away from the window. "I couldn't do this today."

"It's okay," Katrina replied. "You deserve some time to yourself." Deep down, Trina was still deeply concerned about Tori, and couldn't understand what she was going through.

Tori noticed something out of the corner of her eye: the man from the hospital? The teen shot her head back, but didn't see anyone. Tori kept staring out the window, unable to focus on anything else.

That night, Tori lay still in her bed, her body warm under the blankets. Suddenly, images began coursing through her mind: her father injecting her with needles, then him stabbing her mother to death, trying to get at Tori. Blood splattered on the carpet. A black wolf with matted fur and piercing eyes snarling, his blade-like teeth dripping with saliva. The beast let out a bark, and Tori shot up in her bed, her breath heavy. The girl looked down at her hands: they were covered with hair, and her nails were growing into black claws. Her body throbbing, the teen forced herself onto the floor, then walked over to the mirror. The eyes that looked back at her were not her own, but ghostly, inhuman pupils.

The glass of Tori's window shattered, sending thousands of shards onto the road as a large, vicious, wolf-like creature lunged onto the ground, bearing its sharp teeth, and snarling with grizzly rage. Standing in front of the monster was the man Tori saw in the hospital, his eyes wide open with a look of shear terror on his weary face. The beast growled, and shot its head close to the man, causing him to fall onto his back on the cold sidewalk, his heart pounding.

Something around the man's neck caught the wolf's eye: a silver locket. The sight repulsed the creature, and it charged away into the night with a nightmarish howl.

The man remained on the ground, taking heavy, short breaths, and growing ecstatic. "My Tori," he exclaimed, drenched in sorrow for his daughter.

With insaciable fury, the wolf's front legs tore their way forward, kicking vicious with every inch. Saliva streaked from the monster's mouth as charged through the town. The wind blew back its long, matted furr, and its claws slashing the road. The full moon's light shined on the wolf's back, giving it strength. The black night dragged on as the monster ravaged the city, slaughtering everything that got in its way.


End file.
